Nation

BJP chief likely to visit Purulia after murder of 2 party workers

BJP president Amit Shah is likely to visit Purulia district of Bengal later this month, party sources said quoting the national leadership. The timing of Shah’s visit is crucial as it comes within weeks of alleged murder of two BJP workers in the Balrampur block of the district.

The secret murders hit national headlines last week. “We have been told by our central leadership that our party president Amit Shah will come to Purulia,” State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said. The BJP president would visit the State on June 27, sources said.

Though it was not clear as to whether he would visit the victims’ houses party sources said they were hopeful of him doing so. “If he visits their houses then the other workers would be emboldened. It will also embarrass the Trinamool Congress Government nationally,” another leader said.

The BJP which has steadily come up as the principal Opposition party in the State removing the Left Front has been engaged in a bitter dogfight with the Trinamool Congress that has seen an increase in cases of murders and arson since the recently concluded Panchayat elections.

Withstanding the Trinamool terror the saffron outfit managed to do well in jangalmahal districts of Purulia and Jhargram which itself became a sources of added animosity between the two parties, expert said.

As a result two BJP workers Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar were found dead in mysterious circumstances in a matter of three days in the last week of May. The BJP chief himself launched a scathing attack against the Trinamool calling the murders “inhuman” defying all definitions of civilisation.

“As we performed best in Purulia in the panchayat polls the TMC wants to destroy our organisation. They don’t want us to strengthen our base for the Lok Sabha elections. But we will not give up and engage in a do-or-die battle in Bengal,” said Dilip Ghosh the State BJP president. Shah’s visit to Purulia assumes importance against the backdrop of Purulia’s emergence as a veritable battle zone for the two parties ahead of 2019 general elections.

The BJP which has done well in the Panchayat elections has been eyeing at least 22 out of 44 parliamentary seats in the general elections insiders say.

Meanwhile, TMC MP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday attacked the BJP for “pushing India into dark days in the name of acchhe din,” and added the saffron party’s days were numbered.

Sunday Edition

12 Aug 2018 | Kestur Vasuki | Bengaluru

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